Help: Pedestal Stuck In Base

[Jim McC]

I can't get the pedestal out for anything. I don't think the WD40 is even penetrating, to do any good. What do you suggest? Pipe wrench? Thanks.

[Diablos]

I don't know what kind of boat you have but when that happened to my boat I had to pull the whole floor off to get to the bolts at the bottom of the base. I installed a whole new base.

Try Marvel Mystery Oil then put ice bags around the pedestal so it retracts and see if that helps loosen it up.

[Ima Bass Ninja]

How long did you let the Wd40 sit? I had the same problem and let the wd40 sit overnight. The next morning it came out with minimal effort.

[Jim McC]

Thanks. I'll try again and let it sit overnite. It's the pin style pedestal mounted on the front deck.

[Fishing Rhino]

Regarding pedestals. I see some boats with the pedestals always in the socket. Not a good idea. A little corrosion can lock it solid.

If a pedestal in installed when you go fishing and removed at the end of the day you can easily tell when the post and receiver need some cleaning and a coating of silicone. Grease would work fine, but it will end up being messy. Most receivers have a nylon or some type of plastic bushing. The problem is when the aluminum post oxidizes and swells. Some steel wool or fine sandpaper should clean up the pedestal nicely.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

[Long Mike]

Despite the advice about what you should have done, you still have a stuck pedestal. If I were in your position I would consider the pedestal a write-off. After an overnight soak with WD-40, I would start with the pipe wrench and start rocking the pedestal back and forth. If it won't budge then bang the hell out of it with a hammer (at the base of the pedestal, all the way around) and try the wrench again. One little trick that has worked for me in the past is to apply the wrench to the base of the pedestal, pull it as tight as you can, then pound the very end of the wrench with a hammer.

Good luck!

[basscatcher8]

Make sure you dont have a threaded pedistal. Ive heard some guys fighting with theres forever to find out it was threaded and they ruined the threads by however they were pulling on it

[Jim McC]

It is not threaded

[Jig Man]

I've been there.... PIPE WRENCH.

[Jim McC]

Well, I got it off. Since I wanted to move my pedestal further back anyway, I decided to re-do my deck now. I just removed the pedestal base and tapped the pin, from the bottom side, with a hammer and a large bolt.